Film-clamp for motion-picture reels.



C. F. WOODS.

FILM CLAMP FOR MOTION PICTURE REELS. APPLICATION FILED iULY 12, 1915.

1,169,282, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

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FILM-CLAMP FOR MOTION-PICTURE REELS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 331L125, 1916.

Application filed July 12, 1915. Scria1No. 39,342.

To all 'w/wmct may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLnsF. Woons, a citizen of the United States,residing at Princeton, in the county of Gibson and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film-Clamps forMotion-Picture Heels; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to moving picture reels and more particularly toattachments for the hubs of said reels, which is designed to allordmeans whereby the end of the film may be easily, conveniently andquickly connected with, or disconnected from the reel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is simpleand durable in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture and one whichwill be very efiicient in opera tion.

I ilith these and numerous other objects in view my invention consistsof certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangementof parts which will be herein referred to and more particularly pointedout in the specification and claims. I

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved fastening device for film reels with one of the end platesremoved from the hub; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the reel showing myimproved fastening means applied to the hub; Fig. 8 is a verticaltransverse section through the reel on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4Lis a central vertical longitudinal section through the hub of the reeltaken on the line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cover of myattachment which is applied to the hub of the reel; Fig. 6 is a planView of one of the levers of this device.

In describing my invention I shall refer to the drawings by similarreference characters which designate corresponding views throughout theseveral parts and in which the letter R designates a film reel used inconnection with motion picture machines,

and is of the ordinary construction used in making reels of thatcharacter. The hub H of said reel may be made of wood or any otherdesired material, and is formed with an axial opening 1 therethrough andwith counter'sinks 2 forthe headsofthe screws by which the disks or.ends of the reel are secured to the hub.

The hub H has formed in its outer periphv" cry a recess 3 which isformed as clearly is secured to thehub by apertured lugs or ears 5formed on either side thereof and bent at right angles to the cover a toengage sockets 6 in the sides of said hub. W'hen in this position,nails, or screws as shown at 7, or any other preferred form of lockingmeans are inserted through the apertures in the lugs or ears 5 to securethe cover firmly to the hub. This cover 4: is bent to conformsubstantially to the curvature of the outer periphery of the hub, andwhen in position forms a complete cover for the recess 3 therein. Acentral aperture '7, and a pair of transversely extending slots 8 atdiametrically opposite points are formed through said cover for apurpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

The gripping means of this device consist of a pair of operating levers9 which have enlarged heads 10 at one end to form shoulders 11 thereby,and the other end of said levers 12 being curved arcuately to conformsubstantially to the outer periphery of the hub H. The enlarged heads ofthese levers 10 have their outer extremities 13 depending or bentdownwardly at right angles to the said levers. When it is desired toposition this device the levers 9 have their ends 12 inserted throughthe slots 8 in the cover 4 until the shoulders 11 of said levers abutagainst the under side of the said cover. When in this position theenlarged heads 10 of the said levers will be positioned beneath thecover at with their outer extremities 13 engaging with each other, andpositioned beneath the central apertures '7 in the said cover 4, asclearly shown in Fig. 4 of. the drawings.

A coiled spring H is positioned in the recess 3 of the hub in such amanner that the lower end of said spring rests in the bottom of therecess, and its upperend engages the lower surfaces of the enlargedheads 10 of the levers 9. The depending abutting eX- tremities 13 of thesaid heads are adapted to form a guard or positioning member for saidspring when the parts are assembled in the positions above described.

It will be noted that the levers 9 owing to the fact that the shoulders11 thereof engage the lower surface Oftthe cover 4: adjacent .either611d of the slots 8 are fulcrumed at that point, so that while they arenormally-- held'in'the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, yreason of the upward pressure of the coiled spring 14:,any downwardpressure upon the heads of the said levers will cause the projectingcurved ends'12 of the same to be lifted from out of engagement with theouter periphery of the hub. 7

Thus it will be seen by reason of the above described operation when theparts of this 7 that the saidlevers are fulcrumed at a pointintermediate their ends, the outer ends 12 of the levers will be liftedfrom out of engagement with the outer periphery of the hub H, so thatthe film may be inserted therebetween'at either end. Upon removing thefinger from the opening 7 the pressure upon the enlarged heads 10 of thelevers will be released, and the coiled spring 14 which has beencompressed during the above described operation will expand therebyreturning the heads 10 to their normal position into engagement with thelower surface of the cover 4, which will throw the ends 12 of the leversback into engagement with the outer periphery of the hub, therebyforming a secure and firm gripping means for the end of the film.

This attachment for hubs of film reels enables the film to beconveniently attached thereto from either end by means of the movableclamping ends 12 of the levers, without'any danger of the ends of thefilms becoming torn during the gripping operation. This attachment formsa quick connecting or disconnecting means for films and obviates thedanger of tearing the ends of the same during the connecting ordisconnecting operation, which is a great advantage in devices of thischaracter as is well known to those skilled in the operation of motionpicture machines.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved hubattachment for film reels the manner of applying the same to use and'theoperationthereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that Ihave provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying outthe objects of'this invention.

I claim as my invention: a

1. A device of the character described in cluding a hub with a recess inits outer periphery, a covering for said recess having a I fingeropening and a slot therethrough, a

lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for portion of the leverprojecting through said slot to engage the outer surface of said hub,and the other portion of said lever positioned in the recess below thefinger open- .ing.

2. A device of the character described including a hub with a recess inits outer periphery, a covering for said recess having a finger openingand a slot therethrough, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its endsextending through said slot, the portion of the lever projecting throughsaid slot being curved to engage the outer surface of the hub, anenlarged head formed on the other portion of said lever positioned'inthe re cess, and a spring in said recessbelow the enlarged head of thelever.

8. A device of the character described including a hub with a recess inits outer pe riphery, a cover for said recess having a central openingtherethrough, a pair of oppositely extending fulcrumed levers having oneend portion positioned in said recess and registering with the openingin the cover, and the other end portion of said levers eX- tendingthrough the cover to engage the outer surface of the hub.

4. A device of the character described including a hub with a recess inits outer periphery, a cover for said recess, a pair of oppositelyextending levers with enlarged abutting heads positioned in said recess,the other portion of said levers extending through the cover atdiametrically opposite points and engaging the outer surface of saidhub, a spring positioned in said recess below the abutting heads of thelevers, and said cover having a finger opening above the same. 1

5. A device of the character described including a hub having a recessin its outer periphery, a circumferentially extending covering for saidrecess having a central opening therethrough, means to secure saidcovering to the hub, said covering having a pair of diametricallyopposed laterally extending slots therethrough, levers fulcrumedintermediately of their ends extending through said slots and curved toengage the outer surface of the hub, enlarged heads with dependingabutting eX- tremities on the portions of the levers in said recess, anda coil spring positioned between the enlarged heads of said levers andthe recess.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses. V

CHARLES r. woons.

Witnesses:

- .-HARVEY HARMoN, MARIE FIGHTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washingtoml), G.

